The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-01-22


my face found 1 was in a room that
was nearly full of tobacco smoke. A
lamp that looked hazy was burning on
the table. A young man with sbrewd,
vulpine face sat in rocking chair. 1t
seemed to be the only seat in the room
and he smoked a large-bowled pipe.
He was in his shirt sleeves and swayed
gently to and fro, and seemed to be
consulting huge volume in his lap. 1
sat up in haste, to find myself on
table of boards, supported by trestles.
The sheet that covered me was all had
on. The boards creaked as l sat up,
and the young man looked suddenly
towards me, then sprang to his feet,
letting the huge volume fall to the
floor
"Now look hereP' he cried. What
the old Harry do you mean by such
conduct as this
"'What do 1 meanP' said. What
do you mean by having me hereP'
"That is what l mean,' said the man
in his shirtsleeves, waving his hand to-
wards box of surgical instruments
"An operationP' l asked.
"An operation?' We'll, yes; and after
the operation is over there will be moth
ing left of you but bones. You are
mine-I won't say body and soul, but
body at least. bought you. You are
to be dissected, and might as well tell
you now as later that 1 don't like a
body to act as you are doing. don't
like it, 1 say,i and 1 amt used to it. 1
never had it happen before, so lie down
and keep quiet will be ready for you
in moment. am looking up some
authorities on the subject now
"'But see here, l said. You're jok-
ing. I'm not going to stand any more
of this. I'm going away
"'Td like to see you, said the stu
dent, The door is locked, and it is
six stories down from the window.
Now don't interrupt me. lam reading
up this work on anatomy, and fellow
can't give his mind to a serious subject
like this with a corpse making fuss
right along side of him. You are
dead, so lie down and keep quiet
"He resumed his pipe and his book
and his rocking-chair.
"'You don't mean to say I cried
out, that you are going to murder
meP
"He smiled, pulled away at his pipe,
and waved his hand at me to lie down
Instead of that, / arose cautiously and
sprung at his throat, upsetting rocking.
chair book and all. Although had
him down, it was not for long. wa;
: too weak to make a struggle, and he
, lifted me up and placed me on the
} boards again. He picked up his pipe
. put his hands in his pockets and came
5 over and looked at me.
"'You are a fine, lively specimen,
he said; but you are laboring under
} great mistake. You think you are alive
a Well, you're not. You're dead, anC
D have been dead for several days. TIL
coroner's jury sat on you. Perhaps 20,
don't know that
y 81 shook my head.
"'Well, they sat all the same. Yer
dict, died of prostration, or nervou
: prostration, or something like that
no; sunstroke, think twas. Now yor
e are dead, physically and officially. Tn
n State of New York has pronounced yo
defunct. You have petered. Now pu
y it to you rs a reasonable man if yo
n think you are acting as respectful
cadaver should act. You are trying t
1t make out that the State of New Yor
e can be wrong officially, and, besides
d you are trying to get away with tn
body that | have bought and paid fo
Is and can assure you have not got to
n much cash. Idon't buy bodies for amusC
r ment or to have them walk away, either
d No, sir
y "'How much did you pay for meP
y asked
l. "Wen, you came high, besides til
L bringing OF you upstairs. You cost n
l 500 and 81 carriage
:, "'All right. Twill give you 800 fc
+ myself. l think my body is more IL:
to to me than it can be to you
20 The student sat down in his rockin
chair, threw one leg over the other an
I'd eyed me critically,
"See here, he said; you are wealth
l aren't you?'
II "I have about $4,000 l answer,
IT, very foolishly.
"How is your property fixedr
alt is in the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
te tan Bank
"All right. will tell you just VIII
10 it will cost. You make me out a chez
for S75, 900 and you can have yourse'
n, You know you are legally and official
dead.
ok "'Otherwise I suppose you will mu
w der me?'
ne "'Call it what you like, he answer
nd iauntly. 4 am not particular as to I